That’s the message of Lem Lewis’s latest blog post at TheRanchBroker.com, where the fourth-generation rancher shares his fondest childhood memories growing up on the H.W. Lewis family ranch in Leakey, Texas.

“Ranching instills a love of country and an appreciation of our abundant and beautiful land like no other lifestyle I know,” writes Lem. “If I could, I would wish my upbringing on every boy and girl in America.”

Lem’s great grandfather bought the family ranch in Texas Hill Country in the late 1920s – about 100 miles from San Antonio – and Lem and his two siblings were raised there.

At Thanksgiving each year, Lem’s grandparents – along with aunts, uncles, and cousins – would pack their bags and join in the holiday festivities, staying at the ranch lodge.

“My mom and grandmother would cook for days ahead of time,” Lem recalls, while the children would “run off into the woods and do stupid things, like playing with snakes and jumping out of trees.”

Of all the Thanksgiving season activities that Lem recounts, the most memorable were going into the wild to hunt deer.

“We not only hunted deer, we also shared family folklore – passed from one generation to the next – of great deer hunts past,” Lem writes. “The best times were when Granddad wanted to go hunting with us, and Grandma would let him.”

Today, Lem is one of the top full-service ranch brokers in Texas. His company, The Ranch Broker, offers both buyers and sellers more than three decades of experience.

Writes Lem:

“As an adult, I’ve become an expert at ranch valuations, negotiating, studying investment returns, and deciphering complex and often arcane real estate deeds.

“But as a kid none of that mattered, nor should it matter to those today who can comprehend the priceless experience of raising kids – or even just spending quality time – on a family-owned ranch.

What price could I put on my Thanksgiving ranch memories? How much was it worth just being out in the woods with my siblings and cousins and having the freedom to explore and entertain ourselves, and use our imagination?”

In an effort to explain to non-ranchers what they’re missing, Lem recently created a series of Twitter graphics and posts, titled “99 Reasons We Love Ranching – What’s Yours?” The posts, which run daily on his Twitter account at http://twitter.com/theranchbroker, showcase just some of the many reasons that Lem, himself, loves ranching, as well as reasons that his loyal clients have shared with him over the years. “Thanksgiving” is Lem’s Reason #88.

Lem also serves as host of the popular “Ask Lem” video series that provides ranch buyers and sellers answers to some of the most common ranch-related real estate questions. Each “Ask Lem” video runs about two minutes in length, and is available on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/LemLewisVideos as well as from http://TheRanchBroker.com.

Later this year, Lem will launch RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS, informative podcasts that showcase the vital contributions that ranchers make to our nation’s economy and food supply. Watch for full details on Lem’s website at: http://TheRanchBroker.com.

If you’re considering a ranch purchase, or to delve into any ranch-related subject, contact Lem by phone (210-275-3551) or email (theranchbroker@gmail.com).

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